Customer
One of the largest construction companies in the US, with operations in 48 states, Puerto Rico, Europe. Over 1,600 wireless users.
Challenges
- Uncontrolled spend, no standards in place for carriers, costs, devices.
- No corporate discounts with two primary mobile providers.
- Lack of dedicated internal resources to focus on wireless.
- Decentralized management allowing corporate branches to procure any device and any plan for any employee.
- Unknown inventory; continued payment of service for terminated employees.
- Over $4,000 per month in ancillary charges including ringtones, downloads, text messaging, 411 calls, games, media and unacceptable usage practices.
- Paper and electronic; paper invoices > 4,000 pages per month.
- Manually cost coding charges through A/P to charge back to various branches.
- Hundreds of hours exhausted to cost allocate charges and audit invoices
Solution
Solutions provider developed a complete managed mobile solution and customized mobility strategy that met requirements and exceeded expectations including:
- Developed mobility strategy standardizing smartphones, rates, plans and carriers.
- Audited and benchmarked the mobile environment for all employees.
- Streamlined the procurement of all devices by creating a customized order portal that ensured the end user received the appropriate device, the right plan and the correct carrier.
- Created a customized inventory solution to improve ordering response times for normal procurement, and replacement devices for employees in the field.
- Provided a customized accessory solution allowing the client to purchase OEM accessories at wholesale pricing with direct shipments to end users.
- MMS provider processes, imports and validates all invoices through its application, cost codes all charges through an automated integration with the client’s accounts payable system.
- Manages, monitors and optimizes the client’s services each month measuring total minutes purchased against usage, text messaging usage, and identifies unacceptable usage
- Monthly analytical reports assist in the client’s quarterly assessment of ongoing cost reductions
Results
- Saved the client $1,800,000 over three years.
- Client realized an approximate 150% return on their investment.
- Negotiated new carrier contracts to maximize corporate discounts.
- Reduction of additional headcount – relieved 4 FTE’s (full time equivalents).
Lessons Learned
- Elimination of waste very early in the project, slashed wireless expenses for this client by more than 1/3 of their original cost.
- Implementation enables accurate asset management including contract and upgrade dates, rate plans, features, employee manager, accessories purchased, Employee ID and cost center general ledger coding, real time visibility for headquarters and branches.
- Fast and reliable device support improves response time for processing orders, replacements and subscription changes which reduces employee down time and improves workforce productivity
- Validation and auto-cost coding reduced FTE hours and improved accuracy and timeliness of payments to the carriers minimizing late fees
- Centralizing ordering helped this client accurately control costs and internal processes.
- This project freed branch managers from wireless management allowing them to focus on key field business decisions.
- Migrated carrier accounts to allow for pooling of data plans to minimize corporate spend.
- Ongoing management of devices allowed the client to make an decision to eliminate aircards and replace them with embedded netbooks, reducing waste from lost, stolen or damaged aircards while providing improved work experience through a technology refresh.
This case study is provided by an ETMA member company, which is solely responsible for the content.